Network Edge and IIoT:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most significant trends in technology today. A melding of innovations in the fields of computing and communication, IoT and its “smart” devices are poised to reorganize not only user-machine interaction but also the way in which machines engage with one another. Network Edge device.
When these IoT capabilities are implemented in the Industrial and Manufacturing space, it becomes Industrial IoT. This technology is a composition of different technologies like machine learning, big data, sensor data, M2M communication, and automation that have existed in the industrial backdrop for many years. Early adopters of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) have identified competitive benefits and new business models to enhanced revenue, low costs, and better customer experience. Surely there is ideas and concept which are applied to Industries every day.
As the industry looks to build out the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), its biggest challenge will be seamlessly Internet-enabling the ‘Things’ that live at the edge of the network. Industry-wide, this area contains trillions of Things that contain one or many data points that may need to be analyzed and combined with information.
What is Edge in IIoT?
The edge could be remote tools in the field, machinery on a plant floor across the world, or any other asset that provides data in a location far from where data is acted upon. The data from these remote sites has the potential to generate valuable business, but is often too far away, too expensive or too insecure to transmit for time-critical operations. Paradoxically, the importance of processing edge data grows as that edge gets farther away and harder to access — such as on an offshore oil platform, where accessible data can help proactively address high-risk safety issues and high-cost maintenance concerns.
Edge Computing covers a wide range of technologies including wireless sensor networks, mobile data accession, mobile signature analysis, cooperative distributed peer-to-peer ad-hoc networking and processing also classifiable as local cloud/fog computing. Edge computing devices can solve the challenge of making this data available in real-time.
See also: Smart Industry with Industry 4.0 -The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Edge has many Advantages:
Edge application services significantly decrease the data volume that must be moved, the consequent traffic, and the distance the data must go, thereby reducing transmission costs, shrinking latency, and improving Quality of Service (QoS).
Edge eliminates, or at least de-emphasizes, the core computing environment, limiting or removing a major gridlock and a potential point of failure.
Security is also improved as encrypted data moves further in, toward the network core. As it approaches the enterprise, the data is checked as it passes through protected firewalls and other security points, where viruses, compromised data, and active hackers can be caught early on.
Finally, the ability to “virtualize” (i.e. logically group CPU capabilities on an as-needed, real-time basis) extends scalability. The edge computing market is generally based on a “charge for network services” model, and it could be argued that typical customers for edge services are organizations desiring linear scale of business application performance to the growth of a subscriber base.
Network Edge taking care of the following Issues :
Secure Boot: Use cryptographically signed code from the manufacturer along with hardware support to verify code is authenticated. This ensures the firmware has not been altered.
Secure Code Updates: Ensure that the code on the device can be updated for bug fixes and security patches. Use of signed code via secure boot prevents malicious code from entering the system.
Data Security: Prevent unauthorized access to the device, encrypted data storage, and/or encrypted communication.
Authentication: All communication with the device should be authenticated using strong passwords or use of an authentication protocol such as X.509 or Kerberos.
Secure Communication: Communication to and from the device must be secured using an encrypted communication protocol.
Embedded Security Management: Integration with a security management system allows security policies to be updated to attenuate attacks from known threats.
Provide the ability to detect a device seal has been broken or indicate that someone may be attempting to tamper with the device.
Faststream Solutions for Edge Computing:
Product Design and Development
Faststream has expansive expertise in the design and development of modular system architecture, system design, system engineering, OAMP, and platform re-engineering.
Our team with extensive design and development expertise in modular system architecture, system design, system engineering, OAMP (Operations, Administration, Management, and Provisioning); and platform re-engineering spanning the wireless, wireline and data center domains. This is the ideal skillset combination for achieving rapid time-to-market in both mobile edge computing (which synergizes cellular RAN & core networks with data centers) and for computing (which joins the customer-edge router/switch with ‘micro’ data centers).
Testing and Integration
Our competence in testing domains such as product validation, interoperability, regression testing, managed testing and certification has been honed over multiple customer engagements.
We also help TEMs ensure interoperability with equipment from a variety of vendors and perform compliance testing for the pre-certification of equipment.
Field Deployment
Faststream assist customers in deployment services, work closely with customers on field trials, customer focus testing, and deployment testing.
Also, offer Level 2 & Level 3 field support for customers and work closely with carriers and service providers and provide technical consulting on their network planning phases.
Product Strategy / Consultancy
With deep domain expertise drawn from the data center, wireline, and wireless talent pools, Faststream is able to synthesize optimal and innovative solutions in the Edge Computing space.
With the exception of CDN and web-caches, the field of Edge Computing is an emerging technology, and ‘run of the mill’ thinking around data centers, wireline, and wireless technologies may not be sufficient to take full advantage of it. Our services help OEMs identify critical market requirements for Edge Computing, translate them into specific product requirements, and target the ideal product phasing for different product features, defines the product architecture and test strategies. While staying within constraints laid down by each individual client.
See also: Introducing MQTT- Connectivity protocol for M2M & IoT
Let us know what you think about Network Edge Devices in the comments section below.
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Featured Image credit: bsdrouin/Pixabay
